Dear Santa

Dear Santa

Dear Santa, children will write you all over the world

Telling you they have been good boys and girls

Asking for gifts as rewards for the deeds

Hoping you will fulfill all of their needs

Some will want cars and some will want trains

Some will want dolls and video games

They will hope you come through while they are sleeping

But I have a wish that I have been keeping

I don’t want a present wrapped and topped with a bow

Or battery operated toys that will stop and will go

My wish is for love for people one and all

No matter how short regardless of how tall

I want countries at war to lay down their arms

And learn to love each other and do no more harm

I want daddies and mommies to come home safe and sound

Placing smiles on faces that have only seen frowns

I want children without food to know what it’s like

To have their stomachs filled for more than one night

Santa I need patience...as I learn my way

And hope for tomorrow ...as it’s a new day

I want forgiveness for those who haven’t been nice

Warm their hearts with joy and melt all the ice

Tell the people in foreign lands that they are our brothers

And we are now ready to start...loving each other

I know what I want won’t fit under a tree

It’s my hope for the future...for you and for me

Remind my fellow man the true intention of my heart

Maybe he will forgive me...and we can make a new start

So if you get a chance to read this letter

Tell God I promise next year we’ll do better

A Single Drop of Water

A Single Drop of Water

  During this time of year, there will be people who will be singing and celebrating; laughing and crying; shopping and worshipping; remembering and mourning. It is the season of many emotions and experiences, for most. Not unlike any other time of year, I have spent time reminding us to be kind and loving with one another.

  I realized long ago that we all are different, in one fashion or another. No matter how similar we appear to be, if we search deep enough...we will find our distinctive characteristics. By the same token, if we search deep within those that we find to be our polar opposites...we will find the very likeness of us.

  What is the point of this? It’s a point in which, I take great pride in shining light on. We were all created from the same source and created with the same foundation. Our Creator, our point of origin...the maker of all things great and small...started our lives with a single drop of water. And throughout time we can visit and re-visit how water restores, replenishes, revitalizes and revives all living things. That single drop of water, brushed with the love of our Creator...is where we all started and where we should remain focused.

  For all of our differences and unique qualities...one thing tangible keeps us connected...like it or not. Our Creator, no matter what you refer to Him/her as...built us with love. We know this is true because no matter where we look, in music, lyrics, movies, art, even in our most divine books...we are told to love each other. At this point, we should have realized that loving our fellow living beings is important...because we are constantly being reminded to do so.

  The one constant we will have in this life is that as much as we are dissimilar...we are exactly the same. Our foundation cares nothing about how we look differently, speak differently, behave differently, or even worship differently. In the eyes of the Creator, we are the same.

  When the time comes and we are asked how we made use of our time here on earth...I pray that we have something more to offer than we spent time separating people because we have convinced ourselves of the superiority myth. None of us, not one single human being...is better than, above, greater than or superior to ...ANYTHING. Your hair color or texture, the pigment of your skin, the accent of your voice, the size or shape of your body, the location of your earthly home, nor the religion, faith, or the life philosophy that you adhere to...does not put you above anyone or anything else. And as long as we have that delusion in our minds...we are not doing the work of God/Allah.

  Our time here is brief...to prove that fact you only have to ask anyone who has ever loved someone who passed away. So knowing this information...why do we waste so much time on hate and indifference? We are supposed to build our fellow man and woman up...we are supposed to help and guide one another. But in order to do that we must stop trying to isolate one another.

  I hope that during this season of love and hope...that we water the seed which God/Allah planted within us. Love is instilled within our being, but we must cultivate it, water it, and share it with the world. Touch everyone you can...through your fingertips... your speech or your deeds...God’s message can be delivered through us; just as electricity travels through water.

  I implore you to stop wasting time on the negativity that darkness can breed. Remember that just like mold needs darkness to thrive...so does negativity and hate. The Creator’s light is all around us...we need only to seek it. We can see it in compassion, empathy, joy, kindness, thoughtfulness...and when you aren’t watching...you can feel, smell, touch and absorb it through the laughter of children.

  Love is a gift that we are supposed to give to others; and because we were born with it we are supposed to do it all the time. We can hardly hold love hostage, by attaching stipulations to it. The statement “I will love you if...” is a statement of darkness. So here is my message to you: I will love you because God loves me. I will stand by you and defend you against any being that is of the belief that you are not good enough. I answer to our Creator, He holds me accountable for my actions, thoughts and the intentions of my heart.

  Today I would ask you to stand up...become accountable...spread love and joy...for only then can peace prosper.

The Sweetest Things

The Sweetest Things

  The most beautiful gift that anyone didn’t lay in my hands...was the most wonderful gift I have ever known.

  This tends to be the season for gift giving. The stores are mobbed with last minute shoppers looking for the greatest gift ever. You will find sales papers and inserts, in the retail industries attempt to bring up sales for the end of the year. The internet will display online only bargains. Not surprisingly, these sales will contain the very thing...which most of the time...you never even knew that you wanted. There will be boxes and gift bags topped with ribbons and bows of bright red, gold and green. I have to admit, I love giving gifts also, and it gives me a feeling of warmth.

  But I have recently started trying to do fewer gifts which lean on the monetary side...and instead give gifts from the heart. Tangible presents can be exciting, that video game that everyone is talking about, the newest DVD that was just released, the perfect diamond ring that says I love you. Don’t get me wrong, those are great gifts; but I am more impressed with the gifts that come from the heart. They can still be tangible...something that we can have or hold...but they are presents that are more personable.

  For instance, this year I am giving I love you journals to the most important people in my life. Yes, I actually purchased the blank journals. However, I am filling all the pages with words that come from my heart. I am expressing my gratitude, love and appreciation through my words. I am even going as far as to handwrite my thoughts to them. Now, of course, this isn’t something that I would do for everyone...writing everyday in more than 2 journals and keep up with my daily writing...would be quite a task. But through these journal pages I hope that they will find the treasures that can not be bought. I am translating the language of my heart onto journal entries...and hopefully, in the years to come...they will reflect on what I wrote and remember this moment in time when they were important enough in my life to take this effort for.

  There are other things that we do, at my house to express how special people are to us. For instance, we will make cookies and candy and send them out to our loved ones. It’s our way of giving a part of ourselves to those that we hold so dear. Again, these are tangible...but the effort put into each gift, makes them priceless.

  Wal-Mart and Target will not be putting love, affection, or friendship on a sale rack this year. They will not offer tenderness, devotion, or kindness at an auction on EBay. We will not be able to Google the business address for joy, happiness, or delight. There will be no website to visit in order to find where or how to express jubilation during this holiday season.

  In order to give the gift that keeps on giving...and is unique every time you give to another person...we only need to seek it within ourselves. We can give the gift of love and life...simply by touching the hearts and minds of others. A homemade card can mean more than anything that Hallmark may have to offer. It is amazing how a little glitter and paint can warm a soul.

  This year I am asking all my friends and loved ones to give the gift of self. Donate time at a children’s hospital reading Christmas stories, to terminally ill children. Volunteer to work in the local soup kitchen serving dinner to those that have less than we do. Offer to babysit for a neighbor so that they can spend some time on themselves; shovel the sidewalk of an elderly person...just for the joy of doing it. Go out with a bunch of friends singing Christmas Carols in your neighborhood...and watch your gifts multiply.

  The best gifts given are those we give of ourselves. We can give our time or energy...and that investment will spread like a wild fire. When we give from our souls and not our wallets...we are giving a part of ourselves. We are touching the hearts of people who probably have forgotten how very special that they truly are. We should start reminding people that the most valuable offering we can give...is the gift of God’s undeniable love for us. Visiting with the elderly or disabled at a nursing home, can be more important than any diamond necklace ever would be.

  This year give compassion and watch it grow. The sweetest things in life do not cost anymore than a smile or a hug. Love is endless...eternal...and infinite, but it cannot be bought or bartered. Give the gift that gives back...the radiance of God’s unwavering love.

The Reason For The Season

 

  I think that sometimes we can get lost in the commercialization of things this time of year. The proof of that is everywhere we look. Every store or shop seems to have their own idea of how to make the season more festive and memorable than the year previous.

  This year, however, has been a little rougher for me than most have been...which I believe is a test of my strength and willingness to submit to the will of our Creator. So I have sat and endured every Christmas cartoon known to man...I have watched store Santa’s posing with pictures of children who would rather be ducking and weaving in and out of a four lane highway. I have watched retailers attempt to make their sales and “bargains” look like what we might want Christmas to be. All of this, isn’t always a bad thing...it’s always nice to see the excitement of children and the hidden secrets that this particular holiday seems to bring.

  This year was completely turned around for me...I was all ready to become “Scrooge”. And in my mind, I had reason to. Then something wonderful happened in my life...I experienced the love of God through the heart of my daughter.

  First you must understand, she is a teenager...not unlike most teenagers. She wants things, and she knows that there will be things that no matter how much she wants them, or how much I wish I could get them for her...she just won’t receive them. But this brown eyed beauty decided that this year for Christmas she wanted to play Santa Claus for a child on her school’s “Angel Tree”. Keeping in mind that she knew that by us buying for another child meant that her lean Christmas list...just went on a diet. She didn’t care. I remember the day that she was talking to me about it...tears in her eyes. She just wanted to make a child happy for Christmas. And so we went shopping for this sweet 2 year old boy that she didn’t know and would never meet. We got him a few things...which she picked out. She went home and wrapped them and placed them in a giant gift bag and took them to school.

  I can not even begin to express to you the joy that I felt through her at that moment. But I can only really think of one comparison which may assist in my lack of descriptive prose. Watching her was like the feeling I would get as a young child coming in from the cold. I would get to drink this giant coffee cup filled with creamy Hot Cocoa...you know the kind I mean...with the foam on the top from the giant melted marshmallow that used to be there. When you drank it, it was like your body was literally thawing out. There were parts of my body that were coming to life that I didn’t even realize were frozen.

  My daughter became that for me...a sweet, warm, smiling example of that chocolaty goodness. And the real magic was...she made everyone feel that way. We all laughed and sang songs and smiled at everyone today.

  All of this made me think about the saying...the reason for the season; it was like a light bulb came on. The reason for the season...is to give to others that in which we are given. It isn’t about video games or wish lists. It is about reflecting the love that God has given us...and sharing it with everyone else.

  It may be true that we don’t have as much as the next person, but what we have is intended to be shared. I always try to remind others of our blessings, because we can get caught up in what we don’t have and we forget what we do have. We may not have tons of presents under the tree, and as true as that is...there will be people who not have a home to put a tree...never mind the presents underneath. We may not have a huge Christmas feast, but there are people who will not have food to eat on Christmas at all...or any other day. We will miss those we lost this year and our hearts may weep for them...but there are people who will spend this holiday all alone. Can you imagine living on this huge planet and feeling like you are all alone?

  Today my daughter warmed our hearts...by simply opening hers. I hope it is an example that is set not in vain. Reach out for someone today, touch their hearts and don’t be afraid to warm their souls. God only asks that we give to others what HE has given to us...HIS LOVE. It costs nothing to love one another. If the only present you give to someone is your time...it is time well spent. Shine on one another...the reflection is that of our Creator.

A Life Lost

A Life Lost

  I can not imagine what life had become for Rutgers’ freshman Tyler Clementi in September 2010. I have seen videos of him playing the violin, he was very talented. I heard people say that he was a very good and kind person; that is not to say that all people were good and kind to him.

  From what I have read and watched on the news; Tyler was a homosexual young man who was learning to cope with who he was...not unlike most people his age. One night his roommate placed a web cam in their dorm room. On this specific night Tyler was seen in his room with another male...and his roommate allegedly aired it over the web. As with most things on the internet...it went viral; the humiliation of the video was too much for Tyler to deal with. And on Sept 22, 2010 at 8:42p.m.; Tyler Clementi posts on his Face book wall “Jumping off the G.W. Bridge, sorry”. That was the last anyone heard from Tyler Clementi, a life that ended far too soon.

  Now his family must try and move forward...left only with memories of a kind soul...that the world was NOT kind too. Why did Tyler throw himself off the George Washington Bridge? He ended his life, because someone wanted to make fun of him. Someone thought a laugh was more important than compassion.

  I am angered at this situation, because this happens too often. Our children are being bullied and badgered from one extreme to another. Tyler was a child of God...yet we allowed him to be isolated. We made this form of bullying permissible...by simply sitting in front of our computers while this video was live streamed. We didn’t stand up and try to stop it. And in the end, Tyler could not live with the embarrassment...so he ended his grief.

  I intentionally have not mentioned the names of the 2 individuals that were responsible for this incident...not because I am trying to protect them. I am leaving them nameless because the only persons name worthy of remembering...is Tyler Clementi.

  I am writing this to focus on an ongoing problem...bullying. People are no longer just trying to steal lunch money...they are stealing the lives and livelihood of our offspring. It is up to us to put an end to this. No one deserves to feel alone, and deserted. Families don’t deserve to have to pick up the pieces of their broken hearts, because someone thought that humor at the expense of another...was acceptable.

  We are responsible for implementing good, strong, virtuous morals within our children. Every time a child is bullied...it is our world’s problem. Every time a child is fearful of going to school or out to play, because some other child or adult is strong arming them...we are responsible. It is our job to step forward and put our foot down, for those that have not found a way to do it for themselves. We must embrace God’s children...regardless of who they are.

  Young men and women have enough to deal with...just being young adults. Life makes things hard enough, without us pushing things to their limit and making it almost impossible to survive. It saddens me to know that Tyler felt like he had no other choice but to end his young life. I pray that this vicious circle can end here. We all can play a part in making the world a more loving place. Encourage our children to be respectful of others; and in the wake of bullying we should educate our children in the art of compassion. Stand up for those who do not know how to stand up for themselves.

  I pray that God will guide us back onto our true path...we have wasted far too much time.

Resolving My Resolution

Resolving My Resolution

  Every year around this time people talk about resolutions, I guess that makes sense...wanting to start off the year with a clean slate. There will be millions of promises of cutting calories, avoiding alcohol, cutting back on spending, and various other habits that we may want to change. All of which is good, I know that I am always aware that there are things that I could do to improve upon myself.

  But, even in knowing this information, I don’t really do resolutions. I feel like I am setting myself up for failure that way. I never say this year, this month, or even this week...I will give up...anything. Why? Well, because for me, life is a moment at a time. If I can make it through today, being a little stronger...a little kinder...for myself and those around me...then I am a success. I will mess up. And since I am human, I allow myself that reality. But the real beauty is found in the fact that even though I may not be perfect...tomorrow I will again attempt to do better.

  I will speak more softly and less rapidly. I will try and listen more intently. I will try and avoid those tempting conversations that I know will grow to become a war of wills. I will attempt to show people how very much I love them, with all that I say and do. I will continue talking to God and pray that the intentions of my heart remain as pure as they were when I was a child.

  And just as certainly as I have written this...I will fall short. I know this may sound like I am giving myself a “free pass” to fail...but it is really just a matter of saving myself from my most destructive critic...me. I learned long ago that the bar I set for myself is, more times than not, unrealistic. I tend to hold myself accountable for the actions of others...thinking that if I had just done a little more, maybe I could have made a difference. But the sad reality for me is that we all are responsible for ourselves. We all have the knowledge that everyday is a new day; a new beginning. We can learn from our shortcomings, or those of others. We can add to the light of others or we can splash water on their flame...it’s a new day.

  I don’t really need a resolution to remind me that I should push myself away from the table a little sooner, or that I didn’t really NEED that new dress. But these are lofty goals, and I can accept them as such. The definition for resolution is to make a firm decision to do something; the process of resolving something such as a problem or dispute. So, for myself, I would find the resolution for world peace to be a good resolution...although perhaps one that we should work at everyday, and not just on New Years Eve. I would resolve to end hunger, in the Horn of Africa and every where in the world, I would resolve to end senseless killing on the global front, as well as in our own back yard. I would pray that we would stop rationalizing the killing of people by the state. I would resolve that we stop creating barriers as a means to avoid our own inner conflict.

  These are real problems or issues...so perhaps if we all resolved to work at these...all the other changes that we want to make would come a bit easier.

  I would resolve that everyone would read about something or someone that they know very little about...for with education our bounty is limitless. I would resolve that we become more compassionate about our fellow man and woman. We may learn from the very people we are careful not to touch with our hearts. I pray we stop sitting in judgment of others, lest we be judged. I hope we rally around the fact that together we are united...and as history has proven...divided we will fall.

  I wish one day that we could all sit at one giant table, and have a conversation about our day and our plans for tomorrow without fear of letting our hearts be touched by those we have been led to believe are less than us. I trust that if we open our hearts...love will lead us back to the Creator.

  Living in despair out of fear that has been bred in us causes us to lose hope. We often are walking in the blind...never quite realizing that we are making life more difficult than it has to be. I understand hesitancy. I understand it because I have been hurt before. I have reached out to someone just to have my hand burned by their flame. But had I hesitated, as a reflex from that experience...I would have not had the pleasures of my life. Instead I walked on, my head held high...knowing that the gifts of Allah/God are worth the risk of the pain.

  So in the New Year...I wish you hope...love...peace...compassion and the ability to see past what you think you know. Find a beautiful place, within your heart, mind or soul and focus on it with this thought: if you have it within you someone else also has it within themselves. Focus on your higher purpose...give back and lift up...not only for a New Year, but for a new life. Give our children a reason to smile...become the example that we all search for. Give thanks, for with God...the possibilities are endless.

 

Breath of God

Breath of God

Love one another

Is that too much to ask?

Give from which we receive

That is all HE asks

Uplift your brothers and sisters

Gently wipe away their tears

Make amends for the cruelty

We have caused for so many years

Don’t just say you are sorry

Touch one another’s heart

Reach out and love someone

Begin playing your part

Smile up toward the heavens

Realize your true path

Embrace your differences

Let love be the aftermath

Wash away tears with smiles

That can be carried like a crown

Lift each other towards God

Stop tearing each other down

Know that we all are loved

Regardless of how it may seem

This is not a request

And this is not a dream

The true meaning of life

Is that it begins today

Don’t fear getting lost

Or forgetting your way

For life begins when you

Lay down your murderous rod

And set aside your anger

By inhaling the breath of GOD